Bottle-capping machine.



G. A. WILLIAMS.

BOTTLE CAPPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED own. 1914.

Patented July 18, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I @511 Fla 1? G. A. WILLIAMS.

BOTTLE CAPPING'MACHINE.

APPLICATION men DEC. 15,1914.

. Patented July 18, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 GEORGE A. WILLIAMS, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE WILLIAMS SEALING CORPORATION, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CON- NECTICUT.

BOTTLE-CAPPING rmcnmn.

Patented J uly 18, 1916.

Application filed December 15, 1914. Serial No. 877,323.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. WILLIAMs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Waterbury, in the county of New Haven and $tate of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Bottle-Capping Machine, of which the following is a specification.

The invention is a semi-automatic machine for applying bottle caps to bottles, the caps being of that type known as the Kork-N- Seal and in which a lever is employed for fastening the cap to which it is attached.

The object of the invention is to provide a machine in which the bottle to be capped v parts can be adjusted so as to accommodate varlous sizes and shapes of bottles.

The invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement, all of which will be fully described hereinafter and pointed out 1n .the claims.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying my inventlon. Fig. 2 is an elevation partly in section and illustrating the capping mechanism of the machine. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the casting for carrying the capping mechanism.

- Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the capping finger andpinion arranged thereon. Fig. 6 is an end view of the finger. Flg. 7 1s a face view of a casting constituting a part of the cap chuck. Fig. 8 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 9 is a face view of the chuck head to which the casting is attached. Fig. 10 1s a side view of the same, and Figs. 11 and 12 are edge and face views of springs employed in connection with the chuc In the practical embodiment of my invention I employ an upright metal frame 1, having a foot treadle 2 pivoted 1n the lower end thereof which treadle operates upon a bell crank 3, for the purpose of raising the bottle support 4,said support having a depending stem 5 which Works through a bearing bracket oft-he frame 1. A coiled spring 6 connecting the treadle and bell crank returns these parts to their normal positions when foot pressure is removed from the treadle. The bottle support 4 is adjustable from the spindle 5 within certain limits by means of the set screw 7. The bottle 8 is set upon the support 4 and is positioned by means of wings or guards 9 ad ustably secured to the platform or support 4 and the bottle is placed back agalnst thesewings or guards and thereby properly positioned upon the vertically movable platform or support.

The head of the bottle is forced into the bottle cap 10, when, the platformor support, with the bottle thereon is moved upwardly by foot power. The bottle cap 10 embodies a slotted skirt or apron which is contracted by means of a lever 11, which is turned downin the direction indicated by the arrow, and the mechanism for turning this lever is all operated by the upwardflmovement of the bottle, the cap being fed to the chuck by hand with the lever raised as shown in Figs. 1 and2.

The lower end of the chuck shaft 12 is .faced off as shown at 13, and notched at the front side shown at 14, and spring plates 15 are attached at opposite sides for the purpose of engaging the bottle cap and holding thesame in the chuck head.

A casting or forging 16, is bolted to the squared end of the chuck shaft 12, thelower end of this casting being curved as shown at 16 to form a guide for the bottle neck and just above this curved portion the casting is recessed as shown at 16 in order to receive the edge of the cap, and a gage pin can be employed if desired to aid lIl'POSltlOIling the cap. The spring plates 15, also have grooves 15, in their inner faces to assist in positioning the. cap in the chuck head.

The casting 16, has an arm 17 extending laterally therefrom, said arm carrying a forward bearing 18, and a rear bearing 19, and

journaled in the forward bearing is a shaft.

20, havingthe capping finger 21, at the end adjacent the chuck, and a pinion'22 upon the opposite end thereof, which pinion 22, is

dperated by the tooth segment 23, mounted upon a pivot fixed in the rear bearing 19, and this segment also has teeth 23', which mesh with a rack bar 24 which rack bar is adjustably connected to a bearing member 25, which in turn is adjustably attached 'to the main support 1, by means of bolts.

The bearing member 25 is constructed with the upper and lower bearing brackets 25, the chuck shaft 12, Working through the lower bearing while the spindle end thereof 12, passes through the upper bearing, the chuck beingheld in its proper position with relation to the bearing member 25, and

bottle support 4, by means of a collar 26,

' fastenedupon the chuck shaft just above the lower bearing 25', and a coiled spring 27 surrounds the spindle l2, and bears at its lower end upon the collar 26, the upper end of this spring bearing upon an adjustable threaded bushing or nut 28 which is screwed in to the upper bearing 25., and

through which the upper end of the spindle 12 passes. By means of this nut or threaded bushing 28, the tension of the spring 27 can be regulated, it being understood that for different grades of bottle caps different degrees of pressure may be required.

In operation, a bottle cap is inserted in the chuck head with the lever turned up as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. A bottle is then placed upon the support 14, and the foot treadle is pushed down raising the support and forcing the head of' the bottle into the cap, andthe "chuck head being held down by the spring 27, the cap 10 will be forced over the head or mouth of the bottle, and when the upward pressure exceeds the tension of the spring the chuck head together withv bottle and cap will move upwardly, and as the chuck head carries the toothed segment along with it the teeth 23 engaging the stationary rack 24, will cause the segment to rock bringing the teeth 23 into engagement with the pinion 22 which will cause the capping finger 21, which has previously rested in the notch 14, back of the lever 11, to move in thedirection indicated by the arrow turning the lever over and clamping the bottle cap securely upon the bottle.

When foot pressure is released all of the parts resume their normal positions and the bottle, with the cap attached, is removed by hand and another bottle is placed upon the support and another cap in the chuck.

It will be understood that. the rack 24, is adjustable in, order to accommodate various sizes of caps.

It will also be understood that certain changes or modifications of the various elemenace either the support or the chuck may be moved so long as one or the other is movable with relation to the other.

What I claim is l 1. In a bottle capping machine, the combination with an upright frame and movable bottle support, a yieldingly supported chuck, a capping lever carried by said chuck and extending at right angles to the longitudinal axis of said chuck together with means attached to said frame and connected with said chuck for moving said capping finger as set forth.

'2. In a bottle capping machine, the combination with a frame and movable bottle support, of'a bearing member attached to said frame, a chuck yieldingly held in said bearing member, a capping finger carried by the chuck, said finger extending at right angles to the longitudinal axis of said chuck, and means carried by said chuck and bearing member for rotating said capping finger as set forth.

3. In a bottle capping machine, the combination of a main frame and movable bottle support, a bearing member attached to said frame, a chuck yieldingly supported in said bearing member, a casting attached to said I chuck, a capping finger, mounted in said chuck casting and means carried by said bearing member for rotating said capping finger when the chuck moves vertically as set forth.

4. In a bottle capping machine, the combination with a yieldable chuck, of a bottle support, said support and chuck being movable one toward the other, a rotatableshaft carried by the chuck and having a finger extending across one face of said chuck together with means carried by said chuck for rotating said shaftand moving said finger when the said chuck is moved vertically.

5. In a bottle capping machine, the combination with a chuck having a transverse notch in one face thereof, a rotatable shaft arranged parallel with the face of the chuck and having a capping finger adapted to normally rest in the notch in the face of chuck, said chuck being yieldingly -mounted and capable of vertical movement together with means carried by said chuck for rotating said shaft and operating said capping finger simultaneously with the vertical movement of said chuck, and a bottle support arranged beneath said chuck and adapted to cotiperate therewith.

6. In a bottle capping machine, a chuck having a notch in one face thereof, a rotatable shaft arranged in parallel relation with the notched face thereof, and having a capping finger adapted to normally rest within the notch in the face of the chuck, a pinion mounted upon said shaft a gear meshing with said pinion, said chuck shaft and gear being vertically movable together,

and a stationary rack for actuating said gear, and a bottle support arranged beneath the chuck, and cooperating therewith.

7. In a bottle capping machine, the com- 1 'bination with a spring pressed chuck adapt ed to receive a bottle cap, one face of said chuck having a notch extending transversely across the same, a casting attachedtb said chuck, a rotatable shaft carried by said casting and having a capping finger ada ted .to normally rest in the notch in the ace of chuck, means carried by said casting for 8. In a bottle capping machine, the com- .a gear bination-with-a main frame, of a bearing bar adjustably connected to said bearing member, a chuck yieldingly mounted in said a bearing member, a rotatable shaft arranged adjacent said chuck and having a capping finge-r at one end, which finger extends trans- I member adjustably connected thereto, a rack versely across one face of chuck, a pinion mounted upon the opposite end of said shaft, meshing with said pinion, said gear also meshing with the rack bar whereby as the chuck yields vertically the rotatable shaft with capping finger will be operated,

and a'bottle support arranged beneath the chuck together with means for moving said bottle support toward said chuck.

GEORGE A. WILLIAMS;

, Witnesses: i

J. E. TARKABERRY,

LILLIAN H; Swanson. 

